We often disregard the stuff lying around us, but with just a little creativity, it can be turned into something useful. Take, for example, a plain sheet of paper — often tossed away after a single use- but it can be turned into a tiny basket to hold your favourite little things. Yes, this instant paper basket is one such craft that can be made anywhere, anytime. All you need is a sheet of paper and a few simple folds to create your own little basket. You can secure it shut or keep it open on your desk to hold your tiny possessions that often go missing in one place.

Let’s start:

1. Things you need

2. A-4-seized Colourful paper

3. Beads optional

4. Ribbon optional

5. Punching machine

Directions:

1. Cut a square from an A4-sized paper. The width of the square should be the same as the width of the sheet.

2. Fold the square in half diagonally, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Unfold and fold it again, corner to corner from the other side to set the crease; picture 2.

3. Open the paper flat again. Fold it in half edge-to-edge (not corner-to-corner) into a rectangle. You’ll now see the earlier diagonal creases running from the top corners down to meet at the bottom-centre of this rectangle; picture 3.

4. Using those diagonal creases as your guide, gently push the left and right sides inward. The paper naturally folds itself into a triangle shape, with the side sections tucking inside — creating the layered ‘upper and lower’ flaps you can see in this photo; picture 4.

5. Flatten the collapsed shape fully into a wide triangle. Take the small front tip at the bottom-centre and fold it upward, as shown — this tucks neatly against the front layer; picture 5.

6. Take the right corner of the front layer and fold it up and toward the centre, then fold it back slightly — this creates one tall pointed ‘ear.’ Repeat the same fold on the left corner; pictures 6 and 7.

7. Now both ears are folded up, and you can see the ‘W’ shape with the small triangle tip peeking out from between them at the base; picture 8.

8. Turn the whole model over and repeat steps 6–8 (fold both side corners up into points, then flatten) on this back layer too; picture 9.

9. Now both the front and back have matching tall pointed flaps and tapered sides — this is what gives the bag its shape; picture 10.

10. Fold both pointed ears inside towards the centre, so they lie flat against the top edge, picture 11.

11. Reach into the folded model from the top opening and gently push/spread the base outward and down, popping it into a 3D box shape with a flat bottom, just like in this photo; picture 12.

12. Punch a small hole through the two tall point flaps at the top (front and back), thread ribbon through, and tie a bow to hold the basket closed and finished; picture 13.

The writer can be contacted at ithecraftman@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 1st, 2026